On 28 September 1894 and immigrant pedlar from Poland and a Yorkshireman with a head for figures teamed up to create the first Penny Bazaar in Britain - and one of the most famous business partnerships in the world. Today fourteen million people shop at Marks & Spencer every week.

Isaac Dewhirst from Leeds met Michael Marks from Poland and lent him a fiver to set up as a market trader - and introduced him to his cashier, Tom Spencer. When Marks decided to acquire his first permanent stall in Leeds's covered market, he invited Spencer to join him. They signed the agreement on 28 September 1894.

Mark's slogan was "Don't ask the Price - it's a Penny". The first Penny Bazaar store in Manchester multiplied to twelve in the first six years. Today Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a major British retailer, with over 895 stores in more than 40 territories around the world.

Also on this day ....

28 September 1066: William the Conqueror invades England
The Norman Conquest began on this day in 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded England